As we move into the fall season, most of our thoughts and conversations probably center on the hunting already underway and the seasons soon to open.

While I’m also looking to get some hunting under my belt, I must admit I’m also very interested in doing some fall fishing for bass, panfish, and even trout.

The problem with pursuing fishing this fall season, however, has literally been dealing with the highs and lows of water levels. Normally, come September, water levels in our streams and lakes have reached its lowest levels, and with that low, usually very clear water. The temperatures have also hit some of the highest points.

As us fishing types know from past experience, as we move into those fall days, we can also begin to change our fishing locations. Warm water species like bass and panfish have begun moving out of the deeper, cooler water in our lakes and into the shallower areas with good cover and structure.

Normally, if I’m fishing a lake in late summer, I’ll concentrate much of my fishing in water 10 feet deep or deeper. If I’m after crappies, I will likely start working a small leadhead jig over schools of fish that I usually find maybe 15 or 20 feet deep, and I will also take bass in some of that water.

Come September, I start moving into that shallower water around docks, wood structure nearer the shoreline, and rock structure closer to shore with good drop-offs.

Well, I guess it’s time to start making that move, but extremely heavy rains may bring about a bit of a delay.

Last week, one of my favorite lakes was four to five feet higher than normal due to the heavy rain. I didn’t make it out to the lake, but I suspect too that the heavy rain caused much more discolored water, making it harder for fish to spot a fisherman’s offerings. The water was so high you would have had difficulty launching a boat, and often this time of year the opposite situation is more likely the case.

While our lakes have been somewhat altered by the large amounts of rain, as expected, our rivers and streams have been affected even more. Flooding has recently become a common term, and our streams and rivers that are usually low and clear are over the banks and over some roads and even in some basements.

Normally, when I fish the river this time of year, I have to work at finding deep enough water and try not to hit any rocks with my boat prop, and I have even waded the river with good success this time of year. You can bet the Susquehanna’s extremely muddy water wasn’t fishable last week, and it’s still on the high side.

More often than not, our trout streams are too low and clear for good trout fishing in September, but obviously that wasn’t the case this month.

So, how will all of this unusual rainfall affect our “fall fishing?” I suspect once things settle down, and I hope that happens, things will get back to normal. I think there is still a lot of good fishing opportunities out there, but we have to get over this rain-filled hump until we start to see normal fall conditions again.

I’m still looking forward to some dry fly fishing on one of our local trout streams, and I would love to work some surface lures on the Susquehanna River for some of those great fighting smallmouth bass.